The Vandalia Co.'s Harvest Grain Bowl combines spring greens with fresh local apples, sausage, white beans, roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, feta, toasted walnuts and pepitas on a blend of couscous and quinoa drizzled with maple cinnamon balsamic vinaigrette.
After seven years in business, The Vandalia Co. Ƶ a donut-truck that became a café and then a retail store Ƶ will close its West Side restaurant on Dec. 28, with the adjoining retail shop shuttering its doors in January.
ƵFrom the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Charleston! YouƵve been more than just customers Ƶ youƵve become friends, neighbors and a source of endless support and generosity,Ƶ the restaurant said in a Facebook post announcing the news. ƵWeƵve been honored to serve you and we truly canƵt say enough about the warmth and kindness that defines this city.Ƶ
Owned by Josh and Stephanie Woody, the café serves a variety of fresh scratch-made food and drinks, including baked goods, wraps, sandwiches, salads, coffee drinks and more in a charming, cozy storefront space at 611 Tennessee Ave.
The Vandalia Co.'s Harvest Grain Bowl combines spring greens with fresh local apples, sausage, white beans, roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, feta, toasted walnuts and pepitas on a blend of couscous and quinoa drizzled with maple cinnamon balsamic vinaigrette.
THE VANDALIA CO. | Courtesy photo
Everything I ever sampled from The Vandalia Co. was delicious. Their scones stood out, but the Harvest Grain Bowl was always my favorite. Featuring a bed of kale, baby greens and mixed grains topped with sausage, apples, white beans, sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, feta cheese, toasted walnuts, pumpkin seeds and house-made cinnamon maple vinaigrette, it was a flavor bomb from start to finish.
After buying, gutting and transforming an old camper into a tiny food truck, they rolled it out as The Vandalia Donut Co. in 2017 with a simple concept. They mastered the art of making one perfect buttermilk cake donut, topped in a variety of different and decadent ways.
Blueberry Cheesecake Donut from The Vandalia Co.
THE VANDALIA CO. | Courtesy photo
They called the donut ƵNo. 42,Ƶ because thatƵs how many recipes it took to perfect it. You could get it plain and still warm from the fryer, or bedazzled into creations like German chocolate stout with pecan frosting, caramel popcorn apple topped with homemade pumpkin pie filling, espresso Oreo, peach-blackberry cobbler and more.
This is an undated contributed photo of the Vandalia Co. food truck.
Courtesy photo
The truck was an instant hit, but two years later it was unexpectedly shut down by the state fire marshal due to fire suppression issues. Stephanie Woody once told me it was that roadblock that became a blessing in disguise, prompting them to open their own brick and mortar café and bakery, making a longtime dream come true.
But not without another few nightmares first, including a fire in the new kitchen that delayed their opening.
The new space finally opened in April 2021, serving only donuts and coffee at first, but eventually adding more food service and The Vandalia Market next door, which sells a variety of handmade home décor, art, candles, food items, textiles and more. The retail space will remain open through January. An exact closing date hasnƵt been announced.
ƵThe sense of community and collaboration here in Charleston is unlike anywhere else and weƵre so proud to be part of it,Ƶ the post continued. ƵWhile this marks the end of a chapter, itƵs by no means a goodbye. This next season will create space for rest, creativity, and thoughtful planning for what comes next.Ƶ
Downtown GrazianoƵs brings back Saturday hours
In better local restaurant news, downtown CharlestonƵs GrazianoƵs Pizza has returned Saturday hours to its operating schedule. The downtown location recently reopened with great fanfare after a brief closure that was supposed to be permanent.
The popular pizzeria is now open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Steven Keith is a food writer and restaurant critic known as ƵThe Food Guy.Ƶ Reach him at 304-380-6096 or at wvfoodguy@aol.com.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
